Media Alert: Arlington County Board asks Governor to Veto Country Club Bill

Reporters Who Cover Arlington: The Arlington County Board has asked Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to veto HB1204, the country club bill adopted by the General Assembly that mandates the open space assessment of golf course properties in the County.

In a letter signed by all five Board members, the Board noted that the bill, in an effort to provide preferential tax treatment to two golf clubs in Arlington, conflicts with the Constitution and Code of Virginia, sets a dangerous precedent for real property tax assessment decisions to be made in Richmond instead of at the local level, and undermines state laws related to the preservation of open space.

“Enacting this legislation is a dangerous intrusion into the local real estate assessment process which has traditionally been the sole province of local decision making, and sets a dangerous precedent of the General Assembly becoming the venue for what is at its core a local issue,” the Board members wrote.

The letter further notes that the tax relief the bill offers solely to two Arlington golf courses “has a substantial budgetary impact on Arlington County at the expense of schools, public safety, public services, public health and transportation.” The bill would result in a decrease of County tax revenue by $1.43 million annually, necessitating “significant potential reductions in the areas of student education, public safety, transportation, community health, and social services,” the Board members wrote.